10 IL School Districts Among 250 ‘Most Envied’ In US, New Survey Finds

ILLINOIS — Ten of the most sought-after school districts are found in Illinois, according to a new ranking from an online company whose services include helping students prepare for college entrance exams and other educational and career guidance.

Test Prep Insight’s list of the “Most Envied School Districts in the US” is based on a survey of 3,000 parents who were asked about the learning environment they’d most like for their children if given a choice. The most desirable schools were in wealthy suburbs of major metropolitan areas, the survey showed.

Taking the top spot for Illinois was Northfield Township High School District 225, consisting of Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South high schools. The district was ranked 31st overall.

The inventory also includes the following from Illinois:

• No. 51, Township High School District 113 (headquartered in Highland Park)
• No. 69, Township High School District No. 211 (Palatine)
• No. 103, Stevenson High School District No. 125 (Lincolnshire)
• No. 118, Evanston Township High School District No. 202 (Evanston)
• No. 152, Barrington Community Unit School District 220 (Barrington)
• No. 165, Hinsdale Township High School District 86 (Hinsdale)
• No. 166, Niles Township Community High School District No. 219 (Skokie)
• No. 213, Libertyville Community High School District 128 (Libertyville)
• No. 214, New Trier Township High School District 203 (Northfield)

Nationally, all but three of the most envied school districts are located on the East Coast. Test Prep Insight said its survey results underscore disparities in educational opportunities across the country that are largely influenced by local economic health and the robustness of the tax base.

The survey showed the 10 most-envied schools in the country are:

1. Lower Merion School District, Pennsylvania
2. Great Neck Public Schools, New York
3. Jericho Union Free School District, New York
4. Eanes Independent School District, Texas
5. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, North Carolina
6. North Allegheny School District, Pennsylvania
7. North Kingstown School Department, Rhode Island
8. Teton County School District #1, Wyoming
9. Ridgefield Public Schools, Connecticut
10. Scottsdale Unified School District, Arizona

The company said its survey not only highlights the most sought-after school districts but also brings to light the broader implications of how educational opportunities are distributed in society.

The company said respondents in its February survey were adults reflecting diversity in age, gender and geography, and that internal data sources were used to obtain population data. A two-step process was used to ensure representation through stratified sampling and post-stratification weighting, the company said.